I guess I'm just not into fictionalized accounts of a living person. This novel (and I stress NOVEL) made me so uncomfortable that I almost didn't finish it. To take a living person and make up intimate
details about her life just seemed wrong and unnecessary. The writing itself was good but I just couldn't appreciate the premise no matter how satisfying the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC to read and review.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld is unlike anything I’ve read before. At the heart of the novel is taking a look at what happens when a woman isn’t defined by a man.

Say Hillary never married Bill. What could have happened to her life and career? That’s what Rodham takes a look at.

What if? Those two words are so profound. I think most people can see where they made a huge decision and it completely changed the trajectory of their life. But what would have happened if they took a different path?

As I read this story, knowing fully that it’s a fictional take, I was so struck by how real it felt. I’ve read memoirs that felt more closed off compared to this story. Part of me wondered if Curtis will actually take off a mask Scooby-Doo style and reveal that Hillary is actually the real author of this story! I’m clearly kidding there but wow, this book is so deeply personal.

Curtis really dives into her relationship with Bill and the issues that it faced. I thought that was very interesting. I was also very engaged when the story diverges from reality and we follow Hillary as she charts her path as a politician.

She still deals with BS and misogyny and she can’t quite escape her past relationship with Bill both in public and private. But in this timeline, she’s able to stand on her own. The ending is much different than we experienced in real life. So it might make you sad and frustrated.

This is a very interesting exploration of fate, free will and the idea that there are different timelines for all of us.

The early chapters of this book had me scrambling to the internet to check dates and events about Hillary. And I continued to read because of the appeal of Hillary’s life portrayed by Sittenfeld. Lots of people, events, perceptions and impressions of the people in the foreground and in the background of political life. Sittenfeld does this without losing track of the central character living a full life within American Cade is and politics. A very good read, kept me interested from start to finish. It made me wonder, “what if...?”.

Split into three sections, Rodham explores timespans when Hillary is with Bill, her first Senate campaign, and her third presidential campaign. The book becomes increasingly interesting the further it goes, not because the timeline diverges more and more but because Curtis Sittenfeld develops ideas more deeply: racism, sexism, fate and friendship, among others. Sittenfeld expertly weaves what happened with what could've happened, such that qualities and moments in Hillary's real life come to bear in Hillary's alternative life (and it was an interesting, thrilling reading experience to recognize those moments). She's criticized for the same things and she has some unseemly connections for which she must account; there are no Wall Street speeches or email controversies, but there are still white men chanting at rallies, lots of sexual allegations and problematic surrogate supporters. One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is Hillary's relationships with other women: Bill's accuser, as well as a friend who supported her Senate campaign and a friend who did not support it. The writing is accessible but asks deep questions about morality, ambition and purpose -- and mixed in with all that are scenes where Hillary talks about Kegels and buys condoms and K-Y jelly. Though you may pick this up for its alternative history plot line, you're compelled to continue reading by what's recognizable from this world.

Overall, wildly interesting and imminently readable. Highly recommended. Would be a great book club pick!

An interesting alternate history take on Hillary’s future without Bill. Certain to generate a lot of interesting discussions in book clubs about the importance of individual choices vs. fate.

This is a book that will cause backlash and make a lot of people upset, and I am here for it.

I had no idea how much truth Curtis Sittenfeld was going to include in this, and I think she balanced it really well. She has a sort of detached way of writing about her characters that often prevents the reader from getting too deep in the minds of her characters, and it works here. She doesn't try to pretend like she's the only one who can detail Hillary's personality, as if she's mindful that she's a real-life person. Ultimately, I think I preferred the first part of the book to the second, but the second part definitely kept me on my toes; I had no idea how it was all going to work out in the end.

Overall, it's both a disturbing and comforting read in these crazy times.

Sittenfield has a history of focusing on first wives. With Rodham, she focuses on one of the most polarizing first wives: HRC. In this book, she delves into Hillary's life to attempt to answer the question of what would have happened if she had not married Bill Clinton. If she'd never been a first lady, would she have been the first female President?

Sittenfield captures her subjects masterfully. Hopefully readers will move past the polarizing current political divide to give this fictional work a .chance. The universal themes of choice and sacrifice are ones worth exploring for all of us.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I trust Curtis Sittenfeld to give a fresh perspective on a well-known tale (I loved Eligible) but Rodham takes things a step farther, in the best way. I very often forgot that what I was reading was fiction. It felt so much like a true political memoir. Of course, with far more juicy detail. Rodham tells the story of Hillary Rodham if she had never married Bill Clinton. An interesting thought experiment that makes for a highly enjoyable read. Real-life events were woven into fiction seamlessly. I loved going in this journey with Hillary. My only complaint is that I wish it had been even longer!

What if Hillary never married Bill?
Curtis Sittenfeld masterfully tackles this exact question in Rodham, which follows an alternate Hillary Rodham that falls in love with Bill, then out of love, and lives quite a remarkable life on her own.
I will confess to being a Hillary fan for most of my conscious life. And. I'm equally a fan of this Hillary - this bold, strong, and empathetic Hillary. The sexism and society's unrealistic expectations are as true in this timeline as our own (side note - I wouldn't mind to read Hillary's story in a matriarchal universe), and how this Hillary manages it.
This was such a satisfying, addictive read in true Sittenfeld fashion. There. are things I didn't appreciate during the first read - the masterful jump between the past and the 2016 election, the. way relationships evolve, and just. how. closely. Sittenfeld mastered Hillary's voice.
This book has a lot of hype, and it exceeded it. And I wouldn't mind living in that universe, if I'm being honest.

While I'm generally a huge fan of the subject of the book, I often find her writings dull. I never finished her first autobiography.
This book was equally a slog, which is a shame.
I used to live in Park Ridge, IL, and was hoping for more details about the town.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld was one of my most anticipated 2020 reads! After loving Sittenfeld's 2008 novel, American Wife SO much that I had high hopes for this one.

Sittenfeld presented a compelling (and sometimes quite steamy) look at what might have been if Hilary Rodham Clinton had NOT married Bill Clinton…I always love books that look at the path not taken and this was such a nuanced look at female ambition, marriage, and compromises women have and still have to make.

Sittenfeld's writing was engaging and the characterization of Hillary, Bill, and their initial relationship was well developed. As you move further into this book, this does become obviously a fictional look at the "what ifs" of a real individual which may not work for some readers. I really enjoyed this aspect of looking at things through an alternative timeline, especially during today's political climate.

I loved the nuanced look at gender, ambition, power, and privilege and also found the plotline completely engrossing. Rodham would make a fantastic book club discussion, especially as we are in the midst of an election year.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All thoughts my own.

Rodham is not an easy read, but it's a wonderful one. It's easy to forget how poorly women were regarded prior to the rise of the ERA, but there are so many small (and not so small) moments of humiliation that Hilary has to deal with in college, in law school, and with her own family throughout the first third of the book that I found hard to witness as a *reader* but it is really well done and a great way to explain to those of us lucky enough to be born later just how hard women had to work to be viewed as worthy of being viewed.

And then, of course, there's Bill. I did not find young Bill Clinton to be as wonderful as Hillary thinks he is, and was thrillled when Hillary finally (finally!) realized that she could (and did) deserve better and breaks up with him. Once Curtis Sittenfeld is free to construct a narrative where Hilary isn't the first lady of Arkansas, etc., Rodham soars. Very, very highly recommended.

You know by now that "Rodham" is an alternative fictional biography of Hillary if she had not married Bill Clinton. The Hillary presented is much as I imagined her to be--brilliant, tireless, an excellent friend, dedicated, honest, and realistic. Once she's on the camaign trail for anything we see how much harder it is for women in just the details of showing up, with hair and make up done, clothes as unobtrusive as possible, looking chipper and fresh when her male opponents have not need to bother.

Hillary in Rodham receives information about Bill's actions before they marry and heeds it. He knows his weakness and so does she, but there is a final piece of knowledge that she cannot accept. This means Hillary is able to focus on her own career and what she wants to achieve.

"Rodham" gets bogged down in the details, the details of everything. Hillary has so many moving parts to manage it's easy for us to lose track. It would have been nice for her staff to have more background since they are like her family and most stay with her for years. Trump has a comic cameo, making the reality that he won the presidency even more absurd, yet the story has a warm ending.

What did we let go? Hillary's competence and leadership rediate from "Rodham."

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sccess to this title.

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

THIS is the reality, the actual story, all serious Hillary fans wanted, maybe still want. As Americans watch the news everyday and get that winsome look in their eyes, they still think – if only Hillary was at the helm.

Read this while you are in isolation and lose yourself for a few hours or days. You will not regret your mindful vacation.
Curtis takes us back to 1971 when Hillary was a top student at Wellesley and gave her renowned commencement speech. Then on to Yale Law, still involved in student activism and women’s rights, she meets fellow student, Bill Clinton, from Arkansas. Both he and Hillary were intelligent, political, and driven, but he had that goofy, southern charm, that both annoyed and attracted her.

Yes, they dated, and he won her over enough for her to move to Arkansas after their graduation. Although Bill proposed several times, Hillary always said no. She has some doubts about Bill, that would not let her marry him with a clear conscious. They broke up and she moved back to Chicago. Hillary built a solid life as a lawyer and professor, eventually leading to local and state politics, and then to the National stage.

Bill calls her now and then to, “keep in touch,” and asks her to say, “good things,” about him to the press. She never promises one way or the other, but Bill keeps chattering on till they are saying goodbyes.
Hillary is focused, always has been, on what is ahead, the goal she wants to attain. She will let nothing stand in her way, not even old boyfriends.


It has been said, and I concur, “Curtis weaves a fictional tale with actual historical events.” (paraphrasing, mine.) Highly recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House, and Curtis Sittenfeld

The fact that it was based upon one of my feminist heroes and was authored by one of my favorite authors, I was initially drawn to this one. Then, once I started it I just couldn't put it down until I finished it! The beginning feels a bit like Hillary Clinton's biography, but that just proves how well researched it was on Sittenfeld's part. Then, you get into her fictionalized portrayal of relationships, career What Ifs, and more. It's so cute, interesting, and feisty and fierce at the same time, I honestly couldn't stop reading. Sittenfeld's portrayal of Hillary is everything a young me emulated and to see that woman can be strong and powerful without the help of a man was inspiring and just everything. Much like "Eligible," I couldn't put it down and yearned to finish it in a single sitting. Mission accomplished on that front! This book is like the empowering twist of history we've needed and yearned for since 2016 and I'm so pleased to have read it.

Do you ever go into a book knowing its NOT for you but intending to like it? That's what happened with me and Curtis Sittenfeld's new book, Rodham. I loved Eligible, and American Wife was alright. I really liked her short story collection but this "reimaginging" of Hillary Clinton's life if she hadn't married Bill Clinton just...doesn't deliver.This'll be a mostly spoiler free review.

Rodham introduces us to Hillary Clinton on the day of her Wellesly graduation and takes us through the 2016 election which spoiler alert: she's competing in, just like in reality, and it's her third attempt to run for president. Nothing creative there. We see her meet Bill at Yale Law, and we spend the first say 40% of the book learning about their relationship, watching them fall for each other and have a lot of sex, etc. Then, as is indicated in the blurb, Hillary and Bill leave each other, but not necessarily for good. They don't marry. That's the key. Poor Chelsea Clinton, written out of existence. We then jump forward to 2015 and Hillary is running for president but there's a surprise entrance into the race. (SPOILER: Yes, you guessed it...Bill). From there, there are flashbacks through the 90s and 2000s detailing her rise into political power, her previous runs, her running into Bill, who has become a tech guru a la Jeff Bezos with a little Jeffrey Epstein in there, after failing to win the White House in 1992. From there, the story barrels on towards November and election day and we finally learn if Hillary would have won the White House in this alternative but not really that different universe.

This book is bascially liberal fanfiction. It's clear that Sittenfeld is really into Hillary and wants her to win, and that's fine. I knew that coming in. But I still wish it had been a better story. Narratively...it just wasn't fun. It wasn't imaginative. It's not insight into someone we don't know anything about. Many have argued Hillary's downfall was we had known her too well...and I don't think the book explores that enough. It flips this premise--the marriage to Bill--but not much else. Hillary's life, frankly, isn't that different, and I don't think that's true to reality. It presumes that political office was in Hillary's blood, but I don't think the first half of Hillary's life or the first half of this book leads to that. This would have ben a way more interesting book if Sittenfeld as an author stepped back from being a HIllary supporter and explored her nuances. What if Hillary had ended up on the Supreme Court? What if she had met someone else? Why make her haunted by Bill her whole life? What if it was his marriage to Hillary that would have made Bill a good candidate and not the other way around? For all the feminism this book tries to bring--and it makes great points about sexism in politics--I don't think it leans into its ideas enough. 

Also, the whole #MeToo elements of this book are...weird. Not forced, but weird. Bill comes out worse than Donald Trump, a former staffer speaks up against HIllary too, and a rape allegation in the beginning of the book pretty much ends up not mattering at all.

I like the idea of alternative fiction--but with someone like Hillary, it doesn't work that well. She's a person we know too well and this book doesn't get "alternative" enough to make it interesting.

A life that could of been a vision of the path Hillary Clinton could of taken.Curtis Sittenfeld once again has written an amazing involving read.Weaving facts and fiction we are taken in to the life Hillary Rodham could of lived if she never married Bill. I flew through this book so imaginative thoughtful.This is a book I will be recommending perfect for book club discussions about life choices.#netgalley #rodham

Very well-written, though it's weird to read a deeply personal alternate history of someone you greatly admire. Parts felt a bit too farfetched at times, but I appreciate how much of what happens felt plausible, if unlikely.

This book is best classified as a creative reach. I thought it was very creative and an interesting read, but I don't think that it will have universal appeal. The overall feeling was a little bit fan fiction and a little bit biographical and a lot a bit fictional. Posing a questions that many have asked, Rodham attempt to give readers a world where Hillary doesn't marry Bill. Overall, I am glad that I read and will recommend it to other readers, mostly so they can have the same experience that I did while reading and then we can discuss the odd feeling it left me with. Such an interesting idea...

Another fantastic read from Curtis Sittenfeld! More than anything else, her reimagining of Hillary Rodham Clinton's life shows that women will always be forced to make compromises over the course of their lives, regardless of the choices they make; the most important thing is to make choices—and compromises—you can live with. A worthwhile read if you are (like me) obsessed with the "Hillary" documentary on Hulu and "Mrs. America" on FX, or if you just love anything Curtis Sittenfeld writes (guilty on that front too).